PBs for Williams, Bailey at weekend meets

BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

KIMBERLY Williams confirmed her place at next month's (March 9-11) IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, with a personal best 14.28 metres to win the triple jump last weekend at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The 23-year-old Vere Technical past student has now become the number two on the Jamaica all-time list in the indoor event, second only to Trecia Smith, the national record holder with 14.84m.

Williams skipped past Suzette Lee, who is number three on the all-time list with 14.23m, with Keisha Spencer (14.06m) at fourth and the only other Jamaican over the 14-metre mark.

The reigning Central American and Caribbean Games triple jump champion, Williams, broke both the stadium (14.20m) and the meet (14.17m) records at the Invitational.

Williams fouled on two of her three jumps, logging her personal best on the second and erasing her previous best of 14.2m as Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Indoor champion in Blackburg, Virginia on February 27, 2010.

It is unlikely that Williams, one of the Jamaica's best student athlete in the history of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division One Championships, will compete at any more meets before the World Indoors.

The Florida State University (FSU) standout who is still without a sponsor since turning pro last summer, admits she has not yet got it together.

"There's is always room for improvement and with no injuries, God's willing, I hope to continue (improving). Hopefully, when I get to World Indoors I'll be able to put a big legal jump out there," explained Williams, who is averaging 14.04m based on her 10 best results in the triple.

Meanwhile, 31-year-old Aleen Bailey took nine years to break her previous best of 7.23 seconds in the 60m to post a new standard of 7.18 at a Weltklasse indoor meet in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Bailey, who has World Championship gold, silver and bronze in the 4x100m relays, was beaten by Bulgarian Ivet Lalova, who also ran a personal best 7.16.

Third was St Kitts & Nevis's 22-year-old Tameka Williams, who clocked a national record 7.24.